Apple Mascarpone Egg Rolls

Apples are always plentiful in The Bell House. It's one of the few fruits I can get my kids to eat. They also make the best afternoon pick me up when sliced thin and paired with a creamy peanut butter. One Sunday afternoon I was looking in my refrigerator, searching for whatever I had on hand to make a dessert for my dinner guests. Apples were an obvious choice, but what to do with those apples? I didn't have any pie crust on hand and we had just had an apple crumble not too long ago.

What I did have was mascarpone cheese and egg roll wrappers. Hot Dog! Apple Mascarpone Egg Rolls was on the menu.

APPLE MASCARPONE EGG ROLLS:

3 large Gala apples or 4 small Gala apples, peeled, cored and chopped into bite sized pieces

3 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1/2 cup of brown sugar

2  teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 cup of flour

Pinch of salt

Mascarpone cheese

8-10 egg roll wrappers

In a large saucepan over high heat, melt the butter and add the apple pieces.  Cook the apples for about 3-4 minutes, stir frequently.

Add the brown sugar and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.

Once cooled, pour in the vanilla, cinnamon, flour and salt. Give it a good stir and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to assemble, pull out the mascarpone cheese, egg roll wrappers and cooked apples.

Have a glass of water nearby to wet the egg roll wrapper. This will help seal the egg roll. Place an egg roll wrapper onto your work surface as you see below.

Add a dollop of mascarpone and a heaping spoonful of apples to the center of the egg roll wrapper.

Fold the sides of the wrapper over the apples.

Then take the bottom of the egg roll wrapper and fold it over the apples. Work with your fingers to tuck and roll the egg roll. Wet the opposite end of the wrapper with water and close it up. Try to be gentle, but tighten the egg rolls as best you can. If a rip in the wrapper does occur, dampen your fingers to close the rip.

PREPARATION TIP: Make these egg rolls up several hours in advance and store covered in the refrigerator.

When you are ready for dessert, heat up your best frying pan or wok with a few inches of oil over medium heat. You are looking for 350 degrees.

Once the oil is hot, add one egg roll slowly to the pan. The oil will cover only half of the egg roll. After a minute or two, roll it over.

Continue to fry all your egg rolls and let them drain on a plate covered with a paper towel.

To serve egg rolls, cut at a diagonal and drizzle with vanilla cream.

VANILLA CREAM:

1 cup of powdered sugar

2-4 tablespoons of milk

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Start with the powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of milk. Stir the mixture. If it is too stiff, add a tablespoon of milk at a time until you get the texture you desire.